The Second Bride
by snow-angel-anna
Summary: A RenOc. Pairings are Yohna, HaoMari, LyzergMatilda. Ueto Su loves her freedom, and her sister. She doesn't want to lose these two things because of a boy. Her sister, however, will stop at nothing to steal Ren from her.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm alive! Surprised? Haha! It's been a long, long time since I've written anything properly…Most of the time since I returned from December vacation I've been writing three paragraphs and then throwing the paper away, so please don't expect too much of me… I feel that I haven't improved at all… After posting this up, I'll be deleting Wanderlust, because I hope to be able to improve on it fully before posting any of the chapters. I've deleted Threads of Fate too. I guess I'll repost it after I've picked myself up.**

**For now, just enjoy my first Ren OC…**

**Chapter 1: The chosen bride**

A young girl streaked down the path surrounded by tall grasses, her black locks whipping at her face, which was shadowed by a tensed, panicked look. Horses neighed from behind the fences as she darted past, sticking their long faces out, hoping that she would pat them, but today, Ueto Su didn't even cast a glance at their direction.

She finally halted at a large, deserted field beside her home, and, taking a deep breath, she collapsed heavily onto the soft green grass, and scowled at the clear blue sky in disdain.

Su knew that no matter how much she protested, he was going to come to meet her. But she didn't want that. She has no need for a fiancé, or a husband, or whatever. Su was happy being alone with the horses she loved so much. She didn't want anyone to separate her from her older twin sister, Lulu, and she didn't want Tao Ren, or whatever his name was, to be her husband.

The boy's family was very eager about this arrangement, Su remembered her parents telling her and Lulu during dinner last night, and wished for the both of them to come together as soon as possible. And just a few minutes ago, she was asked by her parents to change into something appropriate. That Ren boy would be arriving later this afternoon.

That had been the reason why Su fled from the main house to the fields she loved so much. It was a long way from the main house, and her parents would never dream of walking all the way just to pull her back. They would wait for her to return, and Su was determined to stay there till the sky turned dark. She didn't care about offending the boy, or angering her parents. She will do as she pleases, and no one shall stop her.

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"Su!"

Ueto Lulu glanced up from the book she was reading and stared at her mother, who had just hurried out of the kitchen, tossing her apron onto a chair while glaring fervently at Lulu.

"I'm Lulu," The lass told her mother pointedly, placing the book onto the table before her, "I believe Su's at the fields. I saw her running down just a while ago." She added, standing up and piling her long black tresses onto her left shoulder.

Her mother's face scrunched up angrily. "That girl!" She roared, and Lulu rolled her eyes while biting back a grin, "I told her he would be arriving soon, and she ran to the fields! I'M GOING TO MURDER HER!"

Lulu giggled and shook her head. Having spent 17 years bringing up her twin daughters, Ueto Kaela has not only failed to identify her daughters time and again, but also remained stupidly unaware of Su's defiance and quick temper.

"No way is she going to come back before dinnertime," Lulu thought, shaking her head and getting up from the sofa and straightening her white halter top and mini shorts as her mother raged and stormed around the house, yelling for the man of the family to "get their wretched daughter back to the house this instance", "I'll bet my life on that."

Ueto Takaaki appeared from the balcony, wincing as Kaela continued to scream at him,

"GET HER BACK THIS INSTANCE OR I'LL MURDER YOU TOO! AND THROW ON SOMETHING DECENT! FANCY WALKING AROUND IN A SINGLET AND SHORTS… WHAT IF HE COMES AND SEES YOU IN IT…OUR DAUGHTER'S FUTURE WOULD BE RUINED!"

Lulu caught her father's eye for a brief instance, and grinned. Everyone in the family was used to Kaela's shouting…Not that she would act like that in front of guests, of course.

"I'll get her for you," Lulu offered, breaking her mother's shrieks and saving everyone's ears, "It's a long way down to the fields, and it'll be faster if I go."

Kaela glared fiercely at her in return.

"Don't you girls play switching games with me, you hear? I want Su, not the look alike of Su, do you understand? Just because I can't tell the difference between the two of you doesn't mean I will tolerate…"

"Yes, mum, I should go now, or Su might be late." Lulu interrupted, and with a wave, she slipped on her slippers and ran out of the front door.

"AND CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES WHEN YOU GET BACK! I CAN'T HAVE YOU SHOWING SO MUCH FLESH IN FRONT OF YOUR SISTER'S…"

"See you later, mum!"

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Su closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. She loved the feel of the grass beneath her, and the fresh, dewy smell in the air. She rolled over lazily and grinned when she saw a faint, shimmering figure of a horse lazing beside her.

"How long have you been here?" She said softly, and the creature titled its head and blinked innocently at Su, "I never felt your presence."

She reached out and stroked the horse gently, running her fingers gently down its long face, feeling nothing but cold air as she did so.

The horse continued to blink down at her, occasionally shifting its head nearer to Su, who smiled up at it lazily.

"It's a pity you're a spirit," she whispered fondly, "I would love to ride on you…"

"Su!"

Su gasped when she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind, and sitting up, she saw Lulu strolling towards her. Su waved, a smile spreading and illuminating her fine features as her eyes rested on the face identical to hers.

"Enjoying life, huh?"

Lulu said, sitting down next to Su, who turned to face her after taking a quick glance at where the animal spirit was before Lulu appeared, "Mum wants you back right this instant."

Su groaned and slumped back onto the ground. "I don't want to go back," She replied stoutly, squinting slightly as she turned away from the sun, "I don't want to see him at all."

"He's not here yet," Lulu replied, looking down at Su, "He's just arriving soon, according to mum. Anyway, it's not too bad, right? It's always nice to meet new friends. I thought you loved meeting people."

"This is different," Su protested, shadowing her face with her had as she pouted up at Lulu, "He's not a friend. He's… I don't know, s_upposed _to be more than a friend to me, but the problem is… I haven't met him. I don't know him. What if he turned out to be like a… weirdo or something?"

"Be yourself," Lulu said simply, brushing a wispy strand of hair off her face, "Act like you always do no matter what mum tell you to do. That's the easiest way to shake someone away, or make him fall for you."

"But I don't want him to fall for me!" Su wailed, startled, "I…don't want to meet him at all!"

They sat in silence for a long time, each silently wondering how this Ren guy is like, and how well they would get along with each other. And then, Lulu got up slowly, and extended a hand out to Su, who frowned unhappily.

"Let's go," she said, wiggling her fingers, "Mum's going crazy."

"Doesn't she always?" Su muttered, grabbing her sister's hand, "Say, do you think you can switch personalities with me? Just for the period of time that he'll be here? I'll be Lulu, and you'll be Su…"

"I want to help, Su," Lulu said sullenly as they walked back hand in hand, "but mum says no."

"Like she can differentiate us apart,' Su scoffed, "Come on, Lulu, please?"

Lulu hesitated. She wasn't very keen on meeting this guy herself, but Su had been very unhappy since their parents announced about their engagement. But they might mess things up real bad…

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, and she genuinely looked it, "but I can't be Su for the rest of my life, and you can't be Lulu for the rest of your life either."

Su sighed, and Lulu squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"It'll be alright. Very soon after you marry off, I'll be next. This is the problem when our parents want to continue the line of shamans in the family… And honestly, there aren't much family of shamans around nowadays…"

"I don't get it," Su said glumly, kicking a pebble as she walked, "They should at least let us have a say in it… or wait till we're older…And because they do things the traditional way, I'm going to be stuck with someone I have no feelings for…for the rest of my life! How absurd is that…"

They returned to the main house without saying anymore, and when Kaela saw them, she glared.

"You girls sure know how to take your time!" she spat at them, "Now hurry up and change, both of you! They're reaching in 15 minutes!"

"What?" Su wailed, stamping her feet on the floor with a loud thump to express her anguish, "15 minutes? It's not even close to lunch! I thought you said he'd be coming in the afternoon? It's only 10 am in the morning!"

"Enough of your questions, Su!" Kaela yelled, and Su glared back at her mother, her brown eyes sparkling with tears, "Didn't you hear me? Get changed! NOW!"

Without a backward glance, Su ran into her room, and slammed the door loudly. Lulu watched her sister go, then turned to stare at her father with a pleading look.

"Kaela," Takaaki said, catching Lulu's hint, "Let's go and wait for him outside."

Kaela gave a last glare at the closed door, and then turned and marched out of the house. Takaaki shook his head, then said softly to Lulu before hurrying after his wife, "Go and console that sister of yours. I'll do all I can to stop all this if Su really can't take it."

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Lulu stepped into the room and shut the door silently. She could hear Su sobbing in the toilet.

Grabbing the white dress lying limply on Su's bed, Lulu pushed the toilet door open gently, and patted Su on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Dad and I will do our best, Su," she whispered into her sister's ear, "It'll be alright. Dad will keep his word."

"I don't care… I'm going to make that Ren idiot hate me so much that he'll go right home after lunch!" Su said fiercely, brushing her tears away forcefully, "That'll show mum!"

"All right, do as you please," Lulu replied resignedly, "Let's get changed…"

She stopped, and Su glanced at her uncertainly. Lulu's eyes had widened and her mouth was opened slightly when she heard Kaela's high-pitched laughter from the living room.

"What's wrong?" Su asked in concern. Lulu stared at her, and without another word, she stashed the white dress into Su's hands and whispered, "_He's here! _Hurry, get changed!"

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HoroHoro chortled with laughter when he heard what Jun had said, and Asakura Yoh's mouth dropped in surprise while everyone else howled with laughter.

Like any other day, The Asakura household was crowded with Yoh and Hao's friends: There was HoroHoro and Pillica Usui, from Hokkaido, Tao Jun, from China, Marion Phauna, of Italy, Matilda Matisse and Lyzerg Diethel from England, and of course, Oyamada Manta, a boy too short for his age, and Kyouyama Anna, Yoh's fiancée.

Tao Jun had a younger brother, Ren, who had to leave early to meet his fiancée, a girl from Kyoto called Ueto Su, and when Jun broke the news to her friends, she couldn't blame them for laughing.

After all, Ren had never been good with girls, and seemed the least concerned about marriage and things like that. In fact, the more Jun thought about it, the more absurd it seemed to her, but she didn't mind, for she felt it was time her brother settled down with a good girl.

"Don't laugh," Manta said, though he was wiping tears from his eyes, "It's not nice…"

"But you're laughing yourself, Manta," Lyzerg pointed out with a grin. Manta tried to keep a straight face, which made everyone laugh harder. Anna only smirked, while Hao, Yoh's older twin, HoroHoro and Matilda leaned against each other for support as they laughed.

"It's time he settled down," Pillica said sensibly, when the laughter had died down a little, "It might be good for him."

And as the others started teasing Ren again, Jun sat alone, near the window, and gazed out at the sky, hoping fervently that Ren and Su would not start off hating each other.

**That's it. It's been a while since I've written anything like that… It feels weird. Anyhow… I'm not familiar with Ren, so pardon any OOC-ness! I'll be back soon with chapter 2! I promise I will! At least, I won't vanish for so long, like how I did before…**

**Please Review! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Told you I'll be back as soon as I can! Haha! Well, thanks for your reviews, guys. I'll work hard!!! I guess I am settling down fast… Although I'm still slightly unstable, I know I can manage! Glad to see that some of you haven't forgotten about me! Heh! I have an English exam to sit for tomorrow and a Chinese paper on Friday, so I will be home early. Chapter three will be up by next Monday, I promise! Now, on to chapter two! **

**Chapter 2: First Impressions**

Tao Ren sat down on the sofa without being told to, and glanced around, his narrowed eyes taking in everything about the big, traditional Japanese house in a sweeping glance. Everything was neat and tidy, and there wasn't a single trace of dirt or dust, even in the tiniest edge of the house, he realized.

He turned to gaze at the parents of Ueto Su. They were sensibly dressed, he noted, the woman in a traditional kimono, the man too, in traditional garb, and he couldn't help but smirk. These adults were too easy to predict. Even though they all try their hardest to look and feel at ease in their formal clothing, their eyes were a big giveaway.

Kaela kept her eyes plastered on Ren, surveying him from head to toe with satisfaction, and Ren could almost read her thoughts: _"This is it. We've chosen the correct candidate for our daughter!"_

Takaaki, on the other hand, kept stealing glances at a closed door when he thought Ren wasn't looking. That, Ren thought, must be where their daughter is right now, probably standing by the door, red in the face, wondering if she should make an appearance now.

He shook his head and leant back, careful not to crease his own clothing as he shifted into a more comfortable position. His mother had told him how sweet the two girls were, and how exceptionally lively his fiancée is, but Ren wasn't interested. Sweet or not, he didn't want to be tied down. Not yet, anyway, especially if Su was a crazy bimbo dying to get married. If she was decent, it would be nice to make a friend, Ren reasoned to himself, crossing his arms and staring at his lap, and then progress from there. It didn't occur to him that right now, Su was scowling angrily into the mirror and brushing her mane of black hair with so much force that Lulu was afraid that her sister's hair would all drop off.

"Are you feeling all right?" Lulu asked, straightening her own t-shirt and three-quarters while throwing Su a hesitant glance, "Ready to go out?"

"Ready?" Su growled, slamming her brush onto the table and glaring at Lulu through the mirror, "I'm _dying _to go out there. _Not._"

Lulu couldn't help but giggle as she bundled her hair into a loose ponytail and patted Su encouragingly on the arm. "Mum's so going to regret ever suggesting that Su should get married to this lad," She thought, "And I really pity that Ren boy too… God knows what Su will do once she steps out of this room… Maybe all hell will break loose…"

"Let's go," Su grumbled, and Lulu snapped out of her thoughts, "Mum will throw a fit if we don't go out soon."

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There was a soft click as the room door slowly opened. Ren turned his head a little and saw, from the corner of his eyes, two girls, with identical hair, features and height coming out together, and he blinked.

Twins, he thought dryly, so he was supposed to identify which was his fiancée on his own. Just great.

He got up from his seat and turned to face them, trying not to show his displeasure, but when he saw defiance and anger artistically mixed on one of the girls' face; the one wearing that nice, white angelic dress, he felt his anger rise.

Kaela cleared her throat and laughed while glaring furiously at Su behind Ren's back. Takaaki rubbed his nose and looked away, amused. Something big and bad was going to happen between the stubborn mother and her equally stubborn daughter, but he didn't want to stop it. Let nature take its course, he thought, and if this lad doesn't like what he sees, then we won't force them.

"Su, Lulu, this is Tao Ren," Kaela said with gritted teeth while keeping her smile plastered on her face, "Ren, meet my daughters, Lulu and Su."

When neither Su nor Ren made an effort to say anything, Lulu broke the ice with a grin and small wave, and said, with forced cheerfulness, "Hi! I'm Lulu! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Then, she nudged Su. "_Say something!_ It's really awkward!" she whispered urgently when Kaela shot them another one of her death glares, and Su pouted.

"I'm Su," she said dully, extending her hand out to Ren. Friends, she thought while glaring at Ren, who was staring at her with a stern look on his face, I'm doing this because I want to befriend him, not be engaged to him!

Ren grunted, and feebly slapped her hand in return before sitting down again. Su blinked in disgust. What a rude guy. She pulled Lulu by her hand, and they sat down on the armchairs opposite Ren. Takaaki and Kaela too, sat back down.

An awkward silence followed. Ren kept his arms folded, and stared at the wooden table in front of him. Takaaki watched Su and Ren with mild interest, while Kaela kept mouthing the words, "Say something!" to Su, who pointedly ignored her mother and stared determinedly at her hands. Lulu felt trapped. She didn't know what to do or say, so, like Takaaki, she observed Ren and Su silently, only, after a while, she realized how good Ren actually looked, and felt her face growing hot.

"What the hell?" She thought in disgust, bowing her head and sticking her tongue out in embarrassment, "What's wrong with me?"

"Err," She began after calming herself down, "Would you like something to drink, Ren? You know, Su's really good at making smoothies…"

_"Lulu!"_ Su whispered furiously, nudging her sister, "Don't say funny things like that!"

"Yes, that's right!" Kaela piped up, clapping her hand together in delight, "Su's really good… The weather's really warm anyway…"

"_Mum!" _Su protested, not bothering to keep her voice down any longer. Kaela glared, and Su winced in disgust. Takaaki hid a grin when he saw Ren raise an eyebrow and say curtly, "No thanks, I don't like things that are too cold and too sweet."

Su stuck her tongue out at her mother triumphantly, and leant back onto her chair in satisfaction. No way was she going to make anything for this snob, she thought haughtily, if he wants anything, he would have to get it himself. No one in this house will serve him as if they were his maid.

Another long silence followed, and Lulu continued to steal glances at Ren. "Stop it," she told herself sternly after the fifth sneak peek, "He's your sister's fiancé. He's out of bounds. But…"

Lulu bit her lip. How can Su remain so cold and haughty in front of someone like Ren? Sure, he certainly was a little unfriendly, but given Su's nature, they could have became friends instantly. Why did Su choose to hate Ren?

She stole a glance at Su, and knew instantly, from the annoyed look on her face, that if this silence carried on further, Su would definitely go nuts and do something to irritate their mother.

True enough, after another five minutes passed, Su stood up, banging her hands forcefully on the armrests attached to her chair. Everyone stared at her, and Lulu felt her heart sinking when Kaela half stood up from her own seat, looking murderous.

"I'm going out," Su said loudly, and Kaela shook her head warningly, "To the fields. This is too boring, and it's a waste of my time. Lulu, come get me when lunch is ready, ok?"

"You're not going anywhere, Su," Kaela growled as Su slipped on her shoes. Lulu and Takaaki have stood up as well, and Ren was watching Su with mild interest.

"I am going to the fields," Su repeated stoutly, glaring at Kaela, who looked like a bomb ready to explode anytime just then, "If you want Ren and I to talk, then send him there. I'm not staying in this stuffy room any longer."

And when Su jumped over the open window and darted nimbly towards the fields again, Kaela felt her patience give way. She opened her mouth to yell, but Lulu stopped her.

"WAIT!!" She shrieked, and everyone turned to look at her, "Mum, DON'T yell! I'll get her back right now… I swear I will… Just give me a minute!"

Hastily, Lulu jumped over the gap between her chair and the sofa Ren was sitting on, and bent down to retrieve her slippers, which had dropped from the shoe rack beside the main door.

"NO!" Kaela roared, and Lulu jumped in fright and dropped a slipper she was gripping on to, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to! You and Su will do a twin switch once you're in that shack nearby the fields! Don't take me for a fool, Lulu!"

"But we're not!" Lulu protested heatedly, "I'm just going to get her back! Really!"

Takaaki stood behind Kaela, and watched Ren, who was staring at Lulu with raised eyebrows, without a whit of emotion on his face. And then, to everyone's surprise, he stood up. Lulu and Kaela stopped shouting at each other, and turned to face Ren.

"I…err," Ren said, taken aback by the sudden attention showered on him by the quarreling women, "would like to take a walk outside on my own."

Kaela's red face lit up, and Lulu's jaw dropped as Ren walked towards her slowly and slipped on his own shoes. Without another word, or even a backward glance, Ren stepped out of the house, and disappeared round the corner. Peering out of the window and not catching a single soul around the area, Takaaki said sullenly, "He's gone."

"Aha!" Kaela shouted triumphantly, and Lulu gaped at her in disbelief, "I didn't send him anywhere, but he went out to find Su on his own! I knew I was right about this boy!"

"He didn't go out to find Su," Lulu argued, dimly aware that she was growing angry, and that there was a tingling feeling that felt unknown to her, "It was more like he was chased out because you rose your voice! Anyway, Su hates him and I don't think they'll ever be happy together…!!"

Abruptly, Lulu stopped, and clasped her hands on her mouth in horror. What was she saying? She was sure Su didn't _hate _him; she was only angry at the fact that their parents didn't ask for her opinions! What made her say all that?

"Err, I mean," Lulu stammered uncertainly, stealing frightened glances at her parents, who were both staring at her, surprise written all over their faces, "I… just… think that they're better off as friends now, that's all" she finished lamely, coloring in embarrassment at her outburst.

For a moment, Kaela just stood there, mouthing wordlessly to herself, then, regaining her composure, she glared and said, harshly, "Don't you go putting any funny ideas in your sister's head, you hear? If things don't work out between them I'll hold you responsible!"

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Su skipped down the narrow path, feeling happy and carefree again the moment she saw the vast, green land and the many horses, both wild and tamed, lazing on the huge land.

This was more like it, she thought in satisfaction, stretching happily and breaking into a run when she saw herself nearing the plot of empty land she was lazing on earlier today, this freedom, rather than being stuck in that house with a crazy mother, awkward sister and a fiancé she had no feelings for.

Unaware that a certain boy was watching from afar, she flung herself eagerly onto the soft grass, falling, with a loud thump, onto the ground. Rolling onto her back, she spread her hands and legs wide open, not bothering about whether her dress would flare up when the wind blows, or whether the fresh white would be stained by the dirt brown of the mud as she lay there, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and presence of the little insects hidden amongst the greens.

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Ren stood, his arms crossed, as he walked slowly down the grassy path, his eyes fixed on Su, who was lying on the ground. How child-like, he mused. Besides the type of girls who are dying to get married, this was another type of girl he'd not want for a fiancée.

Besides, he thought with a scowl, from her attitude earlier, he could tell that she was against this arrangement. Very much against, actually. Ren wasn't stupid; she looked so irritated at having to greet him, and she couldn't be bothered to even start a conversation.

"Fine by me," he thought irritably, "I don't want to be engaged at such a young age either. I should go back and tell them that I want to cancel this engagement and return to Tokyo right away. I don't care about all this nonsense, anyway. Jun will be disappointed too, but whatever. It's better than playing along with the adults."

Ren looked up, and, having made up his mind, he turned, and without another glance at Su, he walked back slowly to the main house.

**Yes!! I'm done here! Is it too short? Sorry! Haha! I have to admit, I was distracted when I was typing the last few paragraphs, because I was watching television… Heh. Well, like I mentioned, Chapter 3 will be up by the following Monday! So remember to check back! Haha!**

**Review please! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A reply to Riza and to all the readers: Nope, just to be sure, I've merely read some chapters of Jezebel's works, and I_ cannot remember anything from the story._ I know this sounds harsh, but it's true. I usually don't remember anything from any fanfiction I read _because I don't return for more. _ So you can be sure I didn't steal any ideas from nobody. :D Besides, I came up with this idea while I was talking on the phone with ade5kira, so ask her if you need any confirmation.**

**I'm sorry!! I know I said I would update on Monday… It's been over two weeks… right? Anyway, I'm very sorry, but I was really busy, and I was sort of stuck because I really didn't know which way the story should go for some time. But I'm back! Well. Chapter 3… Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

Lulu stole a glance at her mother, who had sat back down on the armchair, looking smug and pleased with herself. She hated it when her mother acted like a spoilt child who must have everything go according to her plans. This attitude was exactly why Su hated their mother, Lulu mused, slumping back onto her chair; she just had to ruin our lives.

She glanced over to where Ren once sat, and bit her lip. She didn't know why, but all of a sudden, she wished she had switched personalities with Su, not that Lulu wanted to help her, but…

Lulu jumped when she heard a thump from the door, and Takaaki and Kaela sat up, peering eagerly at the door, where Ren stood, alone. Kaela's face fell when she saw that Su was not with Ren as he stepped in without taking off his shoes.

"Err…" He stood awkwardly by the door, but his gaze was steady as he stared straight into Kaela's eyes, "I think...I'm not ready for this engagement yet. It's just too early. Sorry."

Kaela didn't say anything, but turned to stare at Lulu as if it was her fault that things did not work out. Takaaki, however, stepped up, and held a hand out to Ren, who took it, looking rather surprised.

"Thank you for coming, at least," he said pleasantly, "Would you like to have lunch here before taking your leave, then?"

"No, it's alright," Ren said firmly, letting go of Takaaki's hand, "I think I should go now. It's been a…_err_, pleasure to be here."

Lulu snorted with laughter, but hastily turned it into a hacking cough when Takaaki glanced warningly at her, a small smile on his face.

"Err, Ren, won't you like to say goodbye to Su before you leave?" She asked innocently when her fake coughs died away. Ren stared at her, and smiled slightly. Lulu felt her heart skip a beat.

"It's fine," he said, "I don't think she wants to see any more of me, anyway." He turned to leave, "Tell her I said bye."

"Tell her yourself!" Lulu said indignantly, and Ren turned to stare at her with raised eyebrows, "Tell her yourself if you want to say anything to her. She's at the fields, and I can bring you there if you want! I don't want to be your messenger!" She spat out, feeling a rush of anger within her at the thought of being merely a messenger and communicator between Su and Ren. Then, she bit her lip again, and hung her head.

"Sorry," she muttered, aware that Takaaki was watching her intently. Ren stood motionless for a moment, then said simply, "Fine. Bring me there."

Lulu's head shot up, and she felt a grin slowly spreading across on her face. And then, a queer feeling rose in her throat, a sick, sour feeling that she recognized as…

"What's there to be jealous about?" She thought to herself in disgust as she pulled on her sandals, "He just wants to say goodbye, stupid."

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Su heard the soft rustle of grass, and opening her eyes, she sat up, brushing the green blades off her hair with her hand as she peered curiously around to see who was approaching.

"Pretty acute senses you have, huh."

Ren's voice sounded from behind her, and with a gasp, Su turned, and glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked rudely, as if this plot of land belonged solely to her and no one else was welcomed, "Who said you could come, and how the hell did you find your way here, anyway?"

Ren raised his eyebrows. He'd only said one sentence, and this just girl rattled off as if she was a motor mouth… Correction, maybe she _is _a motor mouth. He waited for her to continue, but she didn't, so he figured it was finally his turn to talk.

"I'm leaving, and your sister thought it would be more appropriate for me to say goodbye properly before I left." He said simply, "She guided me here."

It took a while for Su to realize what Ren had said, and when she finally caught on, she stared at him in surprise.

"You're leaving?" She asked brightly, clapping her hands together in delight and surprise, "You're actually leaving? Now? Really? So what happened to our engagement, huh? Is it canceled?"

_Yeesh, what's with her?_

"Yeah, it's canceled," Ren said dully, trying not to look too amused, "But is getting engaged with me really so terrible?" he added when Su punched the air in elation and let out a soundless "Yes!"

"It's not you," Su admitted after she finished her small celebration, "I just don't like the idea of settling down. It doesn't seem to suit me, and, no offense, but nor does it really…suit you."

"Really," Ren said flatly, crossing his arms, "Well, at least someone here knows that getting engaged is not my thing."

Su smiled. Now that the engagement is called off, she felt friendlier, and much more amiable than she was feeling just a while ago.

"Maybe we can still be friends, hey," She said cheerfully, "I mean, I'm sorry about how I've acted earlier…I just didn't know how I was supposed to act in front of you…Like, I don't know what you're like, and I don't know what type of girls you like… maybe the crazy bimbos, or the shy types, I don't know… So…."

"Who likes crazy bimbos?" Ren found himself saying with a small grin which he desperately tried to hold back, "And the too shy types are a no-no, too."

_What's wrong with me? _

"Really?" Su asked with a smile, "I thought boys like the quiet, sweet types. But… whatever." She finished lamely, uncertain of how to continue.

Ren too, seemed to have felt the sudden discomfort, for he turned his back awkwardly on Su, and fell silent. And then, wanting to break the silence, both spoke at the same time.

"(Su)Err, can you find your way out on your own later?"

"(Ren)You know, I think I should get going now!"

Ren blinked in surprise, and Su laughed. "All right, all right, I get it," She said, "Go on, then. Have a safe trip back."

"Thanks," Ren muttered, "I think I shouldn't have a problem getting out."

"That's good!" Su said with another smile, "If you get lost, then just get to the nearest horse you can find around you and tell them to look for Su. They will know where I am, and really, they will be able understand you."

"I won't get lost!" Ren argued heatedly, and Su laughed again.

"If you say so," she said, shrugging and lying back down on the grass, "Bye."

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It was nightfall by the time Su returned home, and, greeted by warning looks from Lulu and Takaaki as she entered the living room, Su knew instantly that her mother was raging about the failed matchmaking and was probably waiting to take it out on her.

"I'm home," She said softly, taking off her shoes and slowly creeping towards her room, "And…I should just… go to bed….now…."

_"NO YOU DON'T!" _

Kaela yelled from the kitchen as Su placed a hand on the doorknob of her room. Letting out a small shriek, Su pushed opened the door frantically and dashed in. Lulu jumped over the sofa and slammed the door shut for Su, who locked it from the inside, and Takaaki stood up, ready to defend his daughters.

"Where's that _wretched_ girl?" Kaela demanded, throwing her apron, which was wet with soap and water, on the floor as she stormed out from the kitchen, "I'm going to _kill_ her!"

_"It's not my fault!"_ Su yelled from inside the room, "He was the one who decided to cancel the engagement! I didn't do anything, so go find him and murder him if you have to kill someone!"

"AND HOW WOULD I KNOW IF YOU TWO DIDN'T AGREE ON THIS TOGETHER?" Kaela roared. Lulu, who was guarding the door protectively, cringed when her mother yelled into her ears, and from the stifled scream from inside the room, Takaaki knew at once that Su too, got a shock at the impact of her mother's voice.

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?" Su wailed angrily, "THAT IDIOT WAS THE ONE WHO MADE YOU ANGRY, NOT ME! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Shut up, Su," Lulu hissed at the door, "or mum's going to break the door!"

"Kaela, calm down," Takaaki said patiently, "Didn't I already tell you? It's their engagement, not yours. Let them decide what they want and who they want to be with. Maybe it is too early to be doing this, after all."

"Early?" Kaela said incredulously, "_early? _The last time I wanted to send her abroad to study you said it was still _early_, and that she was too young to go, so I didn't send her in the end. And now, you're telling me it's _too early _for her to get married?"

"Isn't it?" Lulu interrupted, "We're only 17, mum, for goodness' sake, just give us a break! Su's old enough to decide what she wants for herself. If she thinks it's best for her, then so be it! Would you rather she marry Ren and then stay unhappy for the rest of her life?"

At this outburst, Kaela fell silent, at a loss of what to say to Lulu or to Su. Finally, she threw her hands in the air, and stalked away, looking bad-tempered. Lulu watched her mother go without a sense of guilt at speaking to her in such an unruly manner. And deep down within her, she felt secretly relieved too, that Ren and Su will never be together.

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_Back at Yoh's home_

"What?" Jun exclaimed in disappointment when she heard what Ren had said, "You broke the engagement? Why?"

"I… don't know." Ren said lamely.

"You don't know?" Yoh, Hao, Matilda, Jun, HoroHoro, Manta and Pillica yelled in exasperation, and Ren winced.

"But that's so wasted," Jun mourned, "She is a really good girl…"

"Mari thinks Ren is mean," Marion said ruefully, "Why did he break the engagement with a good girl and hurt her?"

"Her heart wasn't broken," Ren said irritably, "Trust me. She couldn't wait to see me gone, really."

"So she hated you?" Lyzerg asked in amusement. Anna smirked, and Ren scowled.

"Say what you like," he grumbled, "I'm not going to answer your questions anymore."

"You're going to get it from grandpa, I swear," Jun said with a frown, "He was the one overseeing the entire thing…" She sighed wistfully, and Ren looked away, determined not to be wavered by his sister this time, "Mum, dad and I were looking forward to seeing you bring Su home too…"

"Yeah, we thought you'd bring Su back with you," Hao agreed, "What went wrong? Did you insult her in any way?"

"Excuse me?" Ren said incredulously, "Me? Insult her? I think she was the one who was being rude and weird throughout my visit, ok?"

"But according to grandpa, she's a very nice girl," Jun said thoughtfully.

"Aha, see?" Hao said triumphantly as everyone else laughed, "so the problem lies with you, Ren."

"I-DIDN'T-DO-ANYTHING," Ren said through gritted teeth, his hand gripping tightly onto his Kwan Dao, which he had left with Jun during his visit to Su's home, "Don't make me kill you."

"I don't get it… but whatever, details don't matter," Jun said, looking pleadingly at Ren, who blinked and stared at everywhere but at Jun, who said, "Will you just please go back and say you'll get engaged with the girl, Ren? Please?"

"No," Ren said firmly, although he was already hesitating, "I'll look stupid, going back on my word. Besides…"

He trailed off, unable to continue. Su will hate him for life if he changed his mind and went back.

"Oh, come on," Jun pleaded, "or I'll let grandpa know about it this very instance and you'll get it…."

"Ok, ok!" Ren said, harassed, "I get it, alright? I'll change my mind and tell them ok, I'll get engaged with Su, happy? But!"

He added sharply when Jun clapped her hands in delight, "I'm going next week. I want to take a rest first."

"What rest? You're just shy," HoroHoro teased, and Ren burned red, "Admit it, stupid china boy!"

"SHUT UP, BOROBORO!" Ren yelled in agitation, swinging the Kwan Dao blindly and barely missing Yoh's head.

"Swing that thing in this house one more time and I'll kick you to outer space!" Anna said sharply when the Kwan Dao whizzed past her, and knocked down the vase on the table.

"Oh, knock it off!" Yoh said with a laugh, and Ren sat back down onto the chair, still burning red as he placed his Kwan Dao beside him.

The reason why Ren hadn't chosen to go immediately was because he was unsure of how he should face the twins, especially Su, but at that instance when he agreed to go back, he felt sure that he had done the right thing.

**Err… Bad ending? Haha! Sorry, I told you I was stuck, so Ren ended up… rather queer and OOC-ish. Well… Never mind, I'm feeling kind of worn out, because I really didn't intend to do up chapter 3 today, but due to some reasons… I did. So here it is, pathetic as it is… Got to study for tomorrow's Geography and Math mid-year examination soon… See you all in chapter 4… I'll try to make it fast. Promise. **


End file.
